Join Jama for Poetry Friday at Jama’s Alphabet Soup.
This week my students and I were wondering about Aerodynamics. I love framing my weeks with so many wonders at Wonderopolis. We learned about jet streams and lift. We watched some cool time-lapsed videos.
Since we were wondering and wandering around in the clouds, I found some cloud poems to share. From The Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School, I read Racing the Clouds by Jacqueline Jules (p. 45) and Biking Along White Rim Road by Irene Latham (p. 109). From The Poetry Friday Anthology For Science, I read Clouds by Kate Coombs (p. 85) and Tropical Rain Forest Sky Ponds by Margarita Engle. (On a side note, I am thrilled that my students are learning the names of wonderful Poetry Friday poets.)
My students noticed metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia, rhyming, and more. The Poetry Friday anthologies suggested the website Clouds Appreciation Society. (Is there a website for everything?) I pulled up a cloud picture on the board to inspire writing. Even though some of my young students go back to the acrostic form, their writing was richer, emoting more sense of tone, and embedded with metaphor. Models, models, models, teachers. They work!
Coming together
Like a school
Of fish
Under the big blue sky
Disaster, waiting to strikeCouldn’t be better
Laying under the sun
Once it was peaceful, no clouds
Underneath, we are the unsuspecting victims, of the next
Deadly hurricane
–Tobie
(To leave comments for this poet, go to his post.)
In Vannisa’s poem, you will see words and phrases borrowed from the poems we read, mixed together with her words to create a new poem.
Over Afganistan
sunlight is hidden,
for it is somewhat forbidden.
Because this is the clouds,
the round, puffy, white clouds.
The cloud of wish,
the cloud that is as flat as a dish.
They are all lakes in the sky.
Whether it is a flat, small pond,
or a fat navy ocean,
there are no
empty spaces.
–Vannisa (To leave comments for this poet, go to this post.)
Dear Emily was moved to make her poem into an Animoto video. Prepare for tears. Her poem is dedicated to Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. Amy knows why.
Reflections on the Teche 
Margaret, I am truly impressed how you inspired your young poets to find their voice and express it publicly. Emily’s thoughts are pure, profound, and touching. Thank you for sharing. Since I never had a chance to submit my DigitLit Sunday post, I am including it in with my Poetry Friday offering.
I love that there is a Clouds Appreciation Society. 😉 I also love that you and your students are wondering and learning together! Emily’s Animoto video is heartbreaking…and beautiful.
It’s wonderful to help your students connect to the magic of cloud-watching, Margaret. Each wrote such personal responses-beautifully done!
I love Emily’s “loudly roaring your speech to the sky” – beautiful! Thank you for sharing these, Margaret… the year I chose “Sky” for my One Little Word remains one of the most meaningful… skywatching is a habit that has stuck with me and been really special in my life. Happy day!
Irene, my students were so excited to get comments from you. They are learning your name. You inspire young poets.
Wonderful to see how you’ve been able to inspire your students and tap into their creativity :).
These are beautifully original and unique poems. I’m totally impressed. Thank you for the work you do with your students and for sharing with us.
I prepared for the tears… and then they came. These are all beautiful and honest reflections. My thanks to you and your class, Margaret.
The comparisons and the imagery and the mystery in these poems is what strikes me most. Each is beautiful and strong. Each has lines that no one else could have ever written. Thank you for this post. I treasure Emily’s poemgift. xo, a.
Thanks. I think it must be the hearing of poetry that makes them write so well. They have a gift for language. I just don’t stand in their way. I stand by their sides and marvel.
You have inspired your students to reach for “the cloud of wish”. Beautiful poems…
I am so blessed by their creativity.
Wow. They’re poems are amazing.
THEIR!!!
One of the GatheringBooks ladies, Fats, has a pretty neat collection of cloud photographs – she’s a cloud catcher than one. Will share your post with her. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your students’ poems with us.
Your students have created some beautiful poems, Margaret. Thanks for sharing!